20 in 2014: Book 5

As the end of summer nears, a new crop of parents prepare to send their little ones to kindergarten at Pirriwee Public School. A school set with a cast of characters, each playing an internally scripted role in an attempt to appease the perceived expectations of others. A story about lies: the ones we tell ourselves, the ones we perform for others, and the ones that simmer just below the surface, ready to erupt at any moment. 3 very different women, 2 sides to every story, and 1 murder investigation.

As she enters a room, most people can’t help but stare at her exquisite beauty. Married to an extraordinarily wealthy business man and mom to two “perfect” twin boys, Celeste lives a life many jealously long for. However, she hides secrets that eat away at her every single day and she is not the woman people think she is. Madeline is the first to help others: often having the missing piece of an art project or the perfect piece of advice; however, she struggles to co-parent her teenage daughter with her ex-husband. An ex-husband who has since remarried and is also preparing to send a child to the same kindergarten. Jane is new to the area and feels like an outsider in every way: her clothes, her rental home, and her single mom status. It isn’t until a tragic murder occurs at a school function that each woman’s secrets are revealed and lies unearthed.

The truth unravels like an intricately woven ball, each layer revealing another set of truths. As the women learn the whole truth, each wishes she would have asked questions, noticed the signs, done…something. Some lies are perfumed in hopes of being uncovered, small purposeful slips in hopes of someone seeing the truth. Others are performed masterfully, the lie so interconnected with the truth no one would ever have known. Ultimately, the foundation of each of the woman’s lies comes from a similar place, a place that connects them in unforeseen ways. Fantastic book.